Woodcut
For the origins of the technique, development in Asia, and non-artistic use in Europe, see Woodblock printing. For the related technique invented in the 18th century, see Wood engraving. The Four Horsemen c. 1496-1498 by Albrecht Dürer, depicting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that the artist cuts away carry no ink, while characters or images at surface level carry the ink to produce the print. The block is cut along the wood grain (unlike wood engraving, where the block is cut in the end-grain). The surface is covered with ink by rolling over the surface with an ink-covered roller (brayer), leaving ink upon the flat surface but not in the non-printing areas. Multiple colors can be printed by keying the paper to a frame around the wo...
